Prize $$$

I was just reading in the Daily News about the Sheep mountain 150. The prizes for this race are:
1st: $1750
2nd: $1250
3rd: $750
4th: $250
5th: $150

This is for a $200 entry fee.
How is it that a relatively small race like this can get so much support. I think its great, I just wonder how they do it. It doesn’t seem that highly publicized. What are they doing different than comparable bike races to pull off such a huge purse?